


Better Than None

by mpatientdreamr



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-15
Updated: 2012-07-15
Packaged: 2017-11-10 00:59:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/460481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mpatientdreamr/pseuds/mpatientdreamr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jayne asks for a favor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Than None

Of all the people that could’ve been waiting for him in his infirmary, Jayne would’ve been his last choice. If he wasn’t bleeding or unconscious, Jayne did his best to avoid it and the Tams.

Simon cleared his throat and Jayne hid the vial he’d been fiddling with. Simon wasn’t angry so much as perplexed.

“Do you need something?” he asked cordially. Being polite to him always seemed to throw Jayne off balance.

He slowly set aside the vial and picked up a data chip, thrusting it forward. “We’ve run short on pay the last few months. I ain’t got enough credits for Mattie’s treatments. I was wonderin’ if you had something that could help hold her over.”

Simon plugged the chip into his palm reader and blanched at the girl’s diagnosis. “Does she take hydroplastid or plastinines?”

“Neither,” Jayne said and shrugged when Simon looked at him, shocked. “Hydra’s too far from the Core. Even if we could afford the cure, we couldn’t get it. She takes the treatments.”

Simon’s jaw snapped shut as he was once again reminded of how different life in the Core was as opposed to life on the Rim, where protein was worth killing over and medicine shipments often had armed guards. He moved, instead, to a low cabinet, pulling out the box that was inside, then shoving most of his upper torso into the tight space. River had shown him the hiding space, barely big enough for the brief case that was carefully tucked inside the nook. He’d kept a few things from the Ariel job, with Mal’s blessing, although he hadn’t been sure what he’d do with them.

He carefully opened the case and let out a breath that all the vials were still intact. He pulled out four and turned to Jayne. “I have enough hydroplastid for the first round of the cure. But these three are Hydronine, something that’ll hold her over until jobs pick back up again and you can afford the treatment. If we could set up another job like Ariel, then I’d suggest sending home a vial of Hydronine and the three vials of hydroplastid. Once she starts taking the hydroplastid, though, she won’t be able to go back to taking the treatment. I’d like to save as many vials as I can, so I’m going to let you decide.”

Jayne rocked back on his heels. “You think we can pull another job like Ariel?”

Simon shrugged. “There are half a dozen hospitals on Ariel alone, just like the one we robbed. In all honesty, between Miranda and skirmishes on the border, I’m pretty sure that robbery’s already been forgotten.”

“Why would you want to help me?” Jayne asked and Simon could almost see the wheels squeakily churning away, trying to figure him out.

“I don’t,” Simon said honestly, bluntly. “I want to help Mattie. I want…” He trailed off, flinching for a moment, before continuing, “I can’t cure River of what was done to her. I can help her find a way to maintain a sort of equilibrium but I can’t _fix_ her. I can fix Mattie. Three more vials and your sister is healthy again.” Simon cleared his throat, turning away for a moment, fidgeting with things on the counter. “Besides. I’m a doctor. I swore an oath to help people, no matter whose brother or sister they are or where they come from.”

Jayne was quiet for so long Simon started bracing himself for some unlikely calamity. The heavy tread of Jayne’s boots had him looking up. Jayne clapped him on the shoulder as he passed, saying, “Thanks, doc. I’ll talk to Mal, see if we can’t swing by a Sky Plex, send Ma and Mattie them two vials, then find us a hospital to rob.”

It was as close to gratitude and camaraderie as he was likely to ever get with Jayne but Simon let his spirits lift as he tucked two of the Hydronine vials back into the case and slid it back into its cubby. He couldn’t cure River, that was true. But better Jayne’s sister than none.)

**Author's Note:**

> Firefly, Jayne & Simon, After a slow month, Jayne doesn't have enough money to send home for Mattie's medicine.


End file.
